Derrick structure



A. FRANCE 7 DERRICK STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 17, 1922 FEEJL.

4 FIBK.

Patented duly T, lhfid.

ALEXANDER FRANCE, 0F MARS, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRICK STRUCTURE.

Application filed August 17, 1922. Serial No. 582,526.

To all whom it: may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER FRANCE,residing at. Mars, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, acitizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain newand useful improvements in Derrick Structures, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to derrick structure, and is applicableparticularly to the building of derricks for the drilling of deep wells,such as oil and gas wells. The objects of my improvements are securitycombined with simplicity of structure and consequent facility inerection.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.I is a view in side elevation of a derrick embodying the invention; Fig.H is a fragmentary View in horizontal section and to larger scale,through one of the corners of the derrick of Fig. 1; Figs. HI and TV areviews similar to Fig. ll illustrating permissible variations in detailsof structure; Figs. V "and VT are views corresponding to Figs. I and TI,and they illustrate the applicability of the invention to derricks builtwholly of pipe,

Referring first to Figs. T and T1, the derrick there shown consistsessentially of the corner posts 1, the cap beams 2, girds 3, and braces4. The corner osts are in this case formed of wood, an specifically ofplanks, laid and joined in'the arrangement clearly shown in Fig. 11. Thegirds and braces are formed of metal, ordinarily of steel pipe, cut toproper length, with ends forged and pierced, to permit of bolting to thecorner posts, in the manner indicated in Fig. IT. My invention is foundin the bifurcated form to which the ends of the girds are forged, asshown in Fig. I, each gird end being provided with two bolt holes, andin the assembly of such bifurcated-ended girds with the other parts inthe manner shown. The girds are applied to the corner posts with'thebifurcated ends of the girds disposed longitudinally upon the cornerposts, and through the two bifurcations are bolted the upper and thelower braces.

These features are to be noted of the union and anchorage so broughtabout: first, while special anchoring members, secured to the cornerpost and affording anchorage for girds and braces are not forbidden,none is required. Tnstead, the girds and braces may be bolted directlyto the posts. This is a feature of simplicity. Second, while, as in thestandardized form of.derrick, three transverse members are secured tothe vertical member at substantially one spot, these members are notbolted by one bolt, to the vertical member, but are bolted two by two bytwo bolts. This is a feature of combined simplicity and security. Third,the gird in consequence of its extended form and plurality of bolt holesbecomes itself in some degree a truss, thus making for greater rigidityof structure.

Tn connection with the point last noted, 1 direct particular attentionto the uppermost brace members 49 of the derrick structure illustratedin Fig. I. These at their upper ends are bifurcated, in like manner withthe gird members throughout, and are anchored through'one bifurcation tothe corner post and through the other to the top beam of the derrick.This is an added feature of structural novelty, and it too, as will beperceived, makes for rigidity.

Figs. TH and TV indicate that in the assembly various arrangements ofthe bolted parts may be had: the girds and braces, shown in Fig. H to bebolted to the corner posts on the inside, may, if desired, be bolted onthe outside (Fig. Ill, the lower joint) or, girds may be bolted onthe'inside and braces on the outside (Fig. TV) or, again, the bifurcatedend of the gird may be so particularly shaped as to lie, one bifurcationon the inside, the other on the outside, of the corner post (Fig. HT,the upper joint, where the gird is designated 3 Figs. V and VT showapplication of the invention to a derrick whose corner posts are formedof pipe. No detailed explanation is necessary. The drawings show thebolting made directly through the pipe 1 which constitutes the cornerposts. Of course the bolting may be through coupling members which unitepipe lengths in such a structure, or through iian es formed upon suchcoupling members. T ese features are known to the art, and require nomore than passing mention.

As is now commonly the practice, the parts of the derrick are made up inthe shop and are shipped in knocked down condition to the field, forerection there. 'At the same time the structure is in its parts so sim1e that replacements may readily be ma e in a blacksmiths shop in thefield.

I claim as my invention:

1. A derrick structure formed by the combination of corner posts girdsand braces, the girds being formed with terminal truss formingbifurcations, and each glrd' at each end being assembled with two bracesand the Whole secured to the corner post by a bolt" through eachbifurcation of the gird and through one of the two brace members.

bination of corner posts girds braces and 2. A derrick structure formedby the comcap beams, the girds being formed with terminal trussformingbifurcations and being secured with the braces through such bifurcationsto the corner posts, and the uppermost braces being formed at theirupper endswith truss-formin bifurcations and being secured throu h sucbifurcations to corner posts and cap eams.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER FRANCE.

